Bangkok--2 Nov--Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide CATCH THE THRILL OF WRC EXCITEMENT WITH RISING STAR RACER “MIKKO HIRVONEN” Lucky guests at new Ford Focus launch on once-in-a-lifetime treat ride with Mikko Hirvonen on 6 November at Motor Sport Land True rally fans get ready! Mikko Hirvonen, the rising star racer of BP-Ford team who just won the Rally Japan in the world’s toughest and most prestigious rally World Rally Championship last weekend will be in town on 6 November and demonstrate a riveting performance on the tracks during the launch of the new Ford Focus. And guess what? Lucky guests could win an experience of a lifetime — riding on the new Ford Focus on the tracks with no less than Mikko Hirvonen behind the wheels! Hirvonen, 27 from Finland, joined the BP-Ford line-up in 2006. His performance with the high-performance Ford Focus RS that year played a crucial role in the team’s manufacturer’s world title success, the first time in 27 years. Yet again, for the 2007 racing season, Mikko Hirvonen continued his winning streak with the clear win in Japan which just ended on October 28. He also made significant achievement throughout the 14 rallies, and currently ranks third on the racer’s standing. The BP-Ford team currently ranks the first. Only two races remain before end of the season and the BP-Ford team is confident of making another big feat. “We are thrilled to welcome one of the world’s rising star racers from the World Rally Championship,” said Mr. Saroj Kiatfuengfoo, Senior Vice President, Ford Thailand. “With our strong commitment to “Make Every Day Exciting”, we invited Mikko Hirvonen to meet with Ford customers and rally enthusiasts in Thailand and demonstrate his talent on the track which also proves our Ford Focus capability as the performance car. We strongly believe that Hirvonen’s visit will boost the rally spirit of Thai customers and thrill them with the unmatched performance of the German engineered, European-styled Ford Focus.” The launch of the new Ford Focus will be one of the country’s major gatherings of rally racers and enthusiasts in Thailand. The Motor Sport Land will be turned into a racing track for Mikko Hirvonen to showcase to the guests his exceptional skills and bring out the maximum performance of the Ford Focus. A lucky guest will win a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have a ride with him on the tracks. The excitement of the performance car Ford Focus hits 6 November. Get set! Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 260,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com .